Metering spout



Patented Jan. 21, l1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to metering spouts.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a pouring spout that may be readily attached to a bottle or other container of liquid, and which will dispense accurately measured volumes of liquid from the bottle when it is tipped to a pouring position.

Another object is to provide a metering spout of this character that will continue to deliver such measured units of liquid as long as it is held in its pouring position or until the supply of the liquid has been exhausted.

Still another object is to provide a metering spout of this character, which may be varied to alter the volume of the measured dispensed units.

Other objects and advantages reside in details of design and construction which will be-more fully disclosed in the following description and in the drawing wherein like parts have been similarly designated and in which the figure is a view partially in section, illustrating the improved metering spout in its pouring position.

In the drawing, reference character 5 denotes a bottle or the like, having a neck portion 6 to which is attached a metering spo-ut made according to -this disclosure. The spout is attached to the bottle by means of a screwed cap or the like, 1, that engages the flange 8 that is attached to a plug 9 through which passes a .breather tube I Il, which is provided with a series of apertures I2 that are open to the interior of the bottle. The breather tube I extends into the bottle to a position adjacent the bottom thereof.

A feed tube I3 connects through the plug 9 with the interior of the bottle adjacent its top or neck. The opposite end of the feed tube I3 is conductively connected with a chamber I4 which is in open communication with accumulating chamber I5, the upper end of which opens into the breather tube IIJ and also into an air tube I6 which is open to the atmosphere at its outer extremity I1.

The chamber I4 is conductively connected by passage I8, with an ascending siphon tube I9, the upper portion 20 of which is telescoped with the lower portion as shown at 2l. most end of tube 20 is open into a chamber 22 into which projects the open upper end 23 of a descending siphon tube 24, which is provided ad` jacent its lower or discharge end with a plurality of apertures 25.

A siphon-breaking air tube 26 is connected into the chamber 22, and at its other end, slidably projects through an adjustable packing nut The upper- 21 into a lower siphon-breaking air tube 28, which in turn, is conductively connected into the accumulating chamber I by means of a passage 29 that is provided along its lowermost surface with a plurality of apertures 30.

Operation In use, the improved metering spout is installed On the neck of a bottle or the like in sealed engagement therewith, and when it is desired to dispense one or more measured units of liquid from the bottle, the latter is tipped to the position illustrated whereupon liquid from the bottle will flow down feed tube I3 into chamber I4, from where it will rise in ascending siphon tube I9-20 and in accumulating chamber I5. When the liquid has raised into chamber 22 above the upper end 23 of descending siphon tube 24, it will begin to run down through said tube 24 and be discharged through the lower open end thereof. This will start a siphon action to withdraw accumulated liquid from the chamber I5 down to a level slightly below the apertures 30 that are in communication with the siphon-breaking air tube 26-28. At this point, air will be taken in to the siphon-breaking tube connections to effect a sharp break in the siphon action.

If the bottle is still held in its pouring position, the cycle hereinabove described will be repeated and it will be continually repeated until the liquid supply is exhausted.

By carefully determining the cubic volume of the liquid holding portions of the improved spout, a predetermined volume of liquid will be dispensed at each siphon operation. By loosening the packing nut 21, the upper siphon-breaking air tube 26 and the descending siphon tulbe 24 can be raised or lowered with reference to` the accumulating chamber I5 so that the volume of discharge at each siphon operation may be varied to suit requirements. Upon turning the bottle upright to its normal position of repose, substantially all liquid contained in the spout assembly will return by gravity to the interior of the bottle. y

The breather tube I0 is effective for maintaining atmospheric pressure within the rbottle through apertures I2, under all circumstances, since it is in constant communication with the atmosphere through air tube I6. By arranging the apertures I2 in spaced positions through substantially the entire length of the bottle, the

forming of a liquid column in breather tube I0 is avoided. When the bottle and the spout are vlo tipped to their pouring position, liquid will not run down through breather tube I because it will naturally follow the lower tube I3, whereupon air will enter breather tube I0 and be admitted to the interior of the bottle or other container through the apertures l2. The apertures 25 in the lower discharge end of descending siphon tube 24 prevent the air that is forced down through tube 24 ahead of each liquid unit, from forcing adhering drops of liquid remaining from the previous discharge, out of the lower end of tube 24.

The enlarged portion I4 of the accumulating chamber l5, provides for a longer time period during which air can be admitted into the sip-hon through siphon-breakingair tube 26-28, because it requires a longer time for liquid to rell I4 up to the apertures 30. The feed tube i3 is, of course, of less conductive capacity than the siphon, and it is preferably connected with the accumulating chamber Ill- I 5, at a location below the connection of the air tube 2li-28 with said accumulating chamber.

While this specication discloses preferred means for reducing the present invention to practice and a preferred embodiment of the invention, changes may occur to those skilled in the art and may be made within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A metering spout comprising an accumulating chamber for liquid, a siphon conductively connected with said accumulating chamber adjacent the lower portion thereof, a siphon-breaking air passage connecting the interior of the chamber with the interior of the siphon adjacent the top of said siphon, the accumulating chamber being open tothe atmosphere whereby atmosp-herc pressure is maintained therein, and means for selectively raising or lowering the top of the siphon inclusive of its connection with said siphon-breaking air passage to predetermine selectively the quantity of liquid discharged by each siphoning action.

2. A metering spout comprising an accumulating chamber for liquid, a siphon having an eX- tensible ascending tube connected with said accumulating chamber adjacent the lower portion thereof, and a correspondingly extensible siphonbreaking air passage connecting the interior of the chamber with the interior of the siphon adjacent the top of said siphon, the accumulating chamber being open to the atmo-sphere.

3. A metering spout comprising an accumulating chamber for liquid, a siphon having an eX- tensible ascending tube connected with said accumulating chamber adjacent the lower portion thereof, a correspondingly extensible siphonbreaking air passage connecting the interior of the chamber with the interior of the siphon adjacent the top of said siphon, the accumulating chamber being open to the atmosphere, and means for holding said extensible siphon tube in selected predetermined positions whereby the volume of liquid discharged during each siphoning cycle may be selectively predetermined.

4. A metering spout comprising an accumulating chamber for liquid open to the atmosphere, means for connecting said chamber adjacent its bottom with a source of liquid to be metered, an extensible siphon conductively connected with said accumulating chamber adjacent its lower portion, and an extensible siphonbreaking air passage connecting the interior of the chamber with the interior of the siphon adjacent the top of said siphon.

HOWELL T. PERSHING, JR. 

